Hey everybody, welcome at last to the return of our favorite feature, the one in which I send someone questions via e-mail, the someone responds, I edit for clarity and space and to make it seem like we’re having a conversation and then give it a cute little punned title, also known as Questions for Whosiebritches. If you don’t like the title of this one I invite you to come up with a pun for Glohs/glow that’s any better. You can’t.
Anyway, on it with. This week’s subject is Warwick’s own Sasha Glohs, class of 1998, which, let me do the math real quick, makes her 46, 47, or thereabouts. I met Sasha a few Saturdays ago when she led a United Nation delegation into the darkest black dirt to study small-scale sustainable agriculture models.
Here’s a photo of the delegation. I don’t see Sasha in here, but her mother is in a gray shirt, immediately to the left of the woman in green sweater and camera bag strap. It was taken at Rodrimex Farm in Goshen, perhaps by Sasha herself.
About 40 people from many countries and aide programs from around the world visited Bobolink Farm, W. Rogowski Farms, Rodrimex and Bellvale Farms. We chatted about the delegation, the injury she suffered that day, her questionable taste in certain foods, and how to save big bucks at fancy city eateries. Let’s join our conversation in progress, as I ask Sasha about her business card.
Problem Solved: Your business card describes you as a “community investment coordinator” for the Union Square Hospitality Group. Um, what is that?
SG Ahhh….funny you should ask. Well, in a nutshell, I help our restaurants connect with organizations and people beyond the four walls of their business. It’s equal parts events planner, fundraiser, and community relations advisor. I also head up a group of our employees who are responsible for directing the charitable efforts of the restaurants.
PS: You were up in the homeland a couple weeks ago with a delegation from the U.N. Who were those people and why did they come here? And how did you get involved with that?
SG: They were a group of international civil society and government delegates to the 16th UN Commission on Sustainable Development. They were in NYC for 2 (total violation of AP style – PS) weeks to discuss issues and best practices related to agriculture, sustainable development, water and land use, desertification, and Africa. The Hudson Valley tour was meant to showcase successes surrounding urban and rural partnerships, farmers’ markets, land management and diversification. I took a class at The New School in food policy and connected with the professor, Thomas Forster, who is one of the greatest gifts to the city, in terms of working towards greater social equity and establishing a progressive, integrated food policy. Since the class coincided with the Commission, it was a perfect opportunity to delve further into these issues, about which I feel very passionate. It was a wonderful experience to reflect and connect on an international level with people who are struggling with similar issues in their home countries.
PS: What was the chatter on the bus ride back to the city? What made an impression on people? What did you take away from that day?
SG: Truth be told, I couldn’t move my neck at the end of the day – must’ve been the stress – so I stayed in Warwick with my parents. But, I’ve heard that the entire trip made an impression on people. They were impressed with the variety of farms in the area, and how the farmers had adapted to changing global circumstances by diversifying their crops and approach to markets. Cheryl Rogowski is such a powerhouse in so many ways – she brought local officials, school principals, media, and neighbors together on her farm for a big lunch and presentation. Talk about community!
I think Martin Rodriguez’s farm, Rodrimex, made a huge impression on the group as well. To see and hear firsthand the story of how Martin’s family came to the US from Mexico and lived in NYC, and then (with the help of the New Farmer Development Program) was able to purchase land in Pine Island and use the knowledge and skills that they learned in Mexico to make a successful business here in the US…. That is a great story. Wow, I’m pretty certain that was a very grammatically incorrect run-on sentence.
PS: It was, but that’s OK. People get very excited about Questions for Whosiebritches and tend to speak in ways that rebel against accepted societal norms re: grammar, but this is a safe place so don’t sweat it. Now, your biographer wrote to me “other than sun-dried tomatoes, she has yet to find a food she does not like.” What do you have against sun-dried tomatoes?
SG: They taste like soap and have the consistency of soggy rubber.
PS: Funny, that’s how I feel about cilantro,which is one of the few things I don’t like. All of them because they pollute other flavors. I like pickles but don’t like them in anything because they make everything else taste like a pickle. Same with cilantro. And don’t get me started on olives. The worst food of all time.
SG: How could you hate olives? They’re little pieces of briny, salty flavor bombs. They’re the ultimate drinking accompaniment and they very rarely disappoint. You know exactly what you’re getting with an olive. Matt, I’m actually a little offended by this statement, because they’re just about my favorite food.
PS: You’re right, i do know what I’m getting with olives – they’re gross and would ruin my drinking. But despite this parting of the ways, I still want your tips on good places to eat in Orange County and the big city.
SG: Clearly, I’m slightly biased since I work for one of the best restaurant groups in NYC (and completely our her mind re: olives and sun-dried tomatoes-PS). Gramercy Tavern, not only for its food, but for its soul. I feel instantly at ease when I walk in, which is not the case for many of these shi-shi places in the city. In Warwick, The Crystal Inn has some pretty inventive dishes and uses local ingredients. The Iron Forge, especially the Tap Room downstairs (where I’ve been eating wings since high school(not continuously-PS)), is delicious.
PS: Speaking of your restaurant group, if we mention your name at Blue Smoke do we get a discount?
SG: Ha! I wish I got a discount if I mentioned my name.
Filed under: Interviews, Warwick
